Under Hollow Hills - Session Reflections

25 Sep, 2026

While the Circus Yettahbenaymid has more stops on their tour, in light of playing Under Hollow Hills specifically to write a review for the QQKKRJ¹, that limits me to the three Occasions we've performed so far for material.

So, I've gathered my thoughts here, from before and after each performance.

Occasion 1: The Wedding of Aellwynn of the Glen and Roos the Wolverine

Before, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of prep that this session actually called for. Foolish, considering I was well aware of how much the book had in store for me, but nonetheless, the act of actually answering all the questions had me suddenly worried about being ready in time. In light of this, I used the literal first option in the Occasion list, A Betrothing, and frequently went with what the book helpfully calls out as "An easy choice:" for the details therein. Coming up with the couple to be married was some work, as my first NPCs in this system and format, but once I had their connections and problems set, the surrounding cast popped in with much more speed. I was nervous, the question of 'What will this session actually play like?' echoing in my head, but I had done what the book told me to do. Time to trust it, and continue listening to it.

After, like with so many first sessions, I was exhilarated and exhausted. It was wonderful to hear our players introduce our performers for the first time, and they quickly set up some very nice relationship history thanks to the questions ("Bindings") they asked each other. More than a few missed rolls meant I had to get comfortable with the particular complications of this system quickly, so I leaned hard on the 'easy choice' there: stepping towards Winter. Their performance (put together a little hastily because I misunderstood how much time a player had left to be present) ended up amazing me by how neatly it wrapped up the tensions at play in the scenario, and both intentionally and inadvertently gave the audience what they craved. A lovely scene afterwards between two players touching on their history was an absolute cherry on top. The beginning and end of each session in UHH has the Mistress of Ceremonies asking where the circus is headed next, and the answer was readily agreed upon by all: Halloween in London.

Occasion 2: All Hallows' Eve in the Mortal Realm

Before, I was stymied in prep. While I was excited by the suggestion of Halloween, I realized quickly that none of the options in the book mapped as neatly as I hoped. Recasting a different Occasion seemed like it'd be fighting their structure. So, I started writing my own, and as soon as I did, I realized what a joy it was. The Occasions meant for the Human World are broad, meant to cover the variety of human life we're already used to, but writing up a variant specific to Halloween meant I could be pointed, and with the formula established by the rest of the book, the events at hand flowed out of me like candy into a pumpkin bucket. Doing so gave me incredible appreciation for the love the Bakers have kneaded into each prepped Occasion. I wrote the bare essentials of what I thought I'd need, but I'd like to revisit it, and flesh it out into as helpful and full a framework as those in the book.

After, I was dissatisfied with myself. I will first credit my players: while down a member, they nobly ventured into the world, engaged with the people at hand, found ways to use their fairy powers, and put on a show the town will never forget, though they might lovingly question how real it was. However, the situation I presented wasn't terribly grabby; the humans I wrote up were mostly pre-occupied with their own concerns, to the point where they came off as largely standoffish, and there was little play inherent to what I presented to my players. In making humans, I imagined and enacted them boringly, despite having Plays to make just as I do with Fairy-kind. One player commented that they were not quite sure what to do, aside from eventually putting on a show, and I instantly understood where they were coming from. My first Occasion had presented them with a problem, not directed at them, but nonetheless, an apparent one. This one was full of NPCs stuck in their own heads and disconnected from each other, other than by simple location. The circus set their next performance in London, again, for the benefit of their missing party member. Oh joy.

Occasion 3: A Closed Bridge

Before, I played it safe. While they had picked the Mortal World, I decided to waylay them, and stick them back in Fairyland. I wanted the security of a Occasion straight from the book, and even more than that, one that once again presented a clear conflict. As I justified it to myself, direct antagonism was a noted change of pace from the previous two situations, and thus I envisioned a toll booth with exorbitant prices. This time, the scene would lay its problem right at their feet. Writing the fairy-kind here was a delight, as I could clearly envision exactly how they would poke and prod at the circus. Best of all, I was able to lean hard into all of the fun that comes with bartering and deals and bargaining when the fae are involved.

After, I was relieved. This session went far smoother, and while I still have work to do on making my NPCs come across as rich and textured as their write-ups indicate, the areas where I felt I actively stumbled last time were not revisited. I regularly turned the players' Plays back on them, and every NPC used a unique Play of theirs at least once. Most importantly, while in no way backhanding the two prior performances, this time around the circus truly felt like a circus, full of varied, spectacular acts, wooing the crowd, and winning over those that were actively turned against it. Our merry band is growing closer, trusting and playing with each other, and with each step they take that way, the show reflects it. The tollbooth demanded their names, and years of their lives, but instead, the negotiation landed on wager, for three smiles, and this felt perfectly in tune with the world I've been reaching for.

And so that brings us to now, two challenges in front of me. First, gather all the immense feelings that running UHH has imbued in me, and somehow transmute that into a review that communicates them. Second, return to the Human World, and give my circus what they asked for. A chance to make things right, to play humans just as interesting as the fairy. In the book, there's a section on love and what it means to fairy-kind, all the strength and violence and care and danger that they in particular bring to it. And then, just below, on the same page, it says what love means to human beings:

"Same."

Let me do that beautiful bit of writing justice next time. 🐝